The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Commentary
    • Columns
    • Water Cooler
    • Letters
    • Cartoons
    • Books
  • Sports
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Communities
  • Rebate Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Politics

    Obama rejects starting over on health care

  • Politics

    Illegal immigration fell sharply in '08

  • Local

    Oh snow! Another storm approaches

  • Health

    Obama fights obesity with executive power

  • Investigation

    Stimulus foes see value in seeking cash

  • Politics

    Obama's bipartisan call hits wall of dissent

  • Security

    Ayatollah: Iran's military will 'punch' West

Home » News » Editor Favorites

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Donor in Richardson probe also gave to Obama

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

Questions raised about Democrats' vetting of money

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
Please stand by, images loading!
  • Richardson

More Editor Favorites Stories

  • Obama rejects starting over on health care
  • Illegal immigration fell sharply in '08
  • Oh snow! Another storm approaches
  • Obama fights obesity with executive power

By Jerry Seper and Jim McElhatton, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The political donor at the center of a corruption investigation that scuttled Bill Richardson's Cabinet nomination gave $28,500 to President-elect Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in September, one month after the existence of the investigation was already public, records show.

The money from businessman David Rubin, chief executive of Los Angeles-based CDR Financial Products Inc., raised new questions Tuesday about how thoroughly Mr. Obama's campaign and the Democratic Party vet their donors, an issue that has dogged the party since a 1990s Clinton-era fundraising scandal.

Mr. Richardson, the New Mexico governor, withdrew his nomination Sunday to be Mr. Obama's Commerce Department secretary, citing a federal grand jury investigation into whether any of Mr. Rubin's political donations in New Mexico influenced state government contracts awarded by Mr. Richardson's gubernatorial administration. Both Mr. Richardson and Mr. Rubin deny wrongdoing.

At the time Mr. Richardson withdrew his nomination, the Obama transition team made no mention of the fact that Mr. Rubin had donated $2,300 to Mr. Obama's campaign and $26,200 to the Democratic Party at a joint Obama Victory Fund fundraiser at a posh mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 17.

On Tuesday, Obama transition spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to answer any questions about the donations, including how Mr. Richardson was vetted, what was Mr. Obama's reaction to the investigation and the donations' timing. The transition also declined to say whether they checked Mr. Rubin's background at any time after receiving the donations.

But a campaign finance watchdog said the episode demonstrates anew how little effort political campaigns make in vetting donors or their motives.

"The fact that people who want something out of government are giving lots of money is a recipe for exactly what's happening to Bill Richardson," said Mary Boyle, a spokeswoman for the nonpartisan ethics watchdog Common Cause. "I have no idea if this is a quid pro quo situation, but the fact is when you have special interests giving a lot of money to a politician, there are always going to be questions asked.

"People are under a tremendous amount of pressure to raise money, and so you tend not to be really picky when somebody wants to give," she said.

It's not the first time questions have surfaced over the Obama campaign's screening of donors. The Washington Times reported in October on dozens of donors listed with clearly questionable information, including more than 100 from donors identified as "anonymous," another from "JFGGJJFGJ" and one listing an occupation as "white collar drone."

According to FEC records, Mr. Rubin listed both CDR Financial and Chambers Dunhill & Rubin as his place of employment in the donations. Company officials have acknowledged that there are no partners named Chambers or Dunhill and that they were added to make the one-man shop sound more established.

[Get Copyright Permissions] Click here for reprint permissions!
Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Please login or register to post a comment

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. Stimulus foes see value in seeking cash
  2. Va. Senate OKs ban on sexual orientation bias
  3. Another storm approaches Mid-Atlantic
  4. LYNCH: Drug czar should go
  5. Obama's bipartisan call hits wall of dissent
More Top Stories »
  1. Ayatollah: Iran's military will 'punch' West
  2. Storm could put Super Bowl fans in dark
  3. Clinton: Islamist terror is No. 1 threat
  4. Super snow Sunday: Region digs out from 'historic' storm
  5. Prop. 8 trial stirs questions, emotions

Most Shared

  1. Stimulus foes see value in seeking cash
  2. BLANKLEY: Palin delivers sparkle, warmth
  3. Army warned about jihadist threat in '08
  4. New federal office for global warming
  5. STEYN: The 'corpseman' cometh
More Top Stories »
  1. Obama's bipartisan call hits wall of dissent
  2. PRUDEN: Hatching the Silly Bowl
  3. Ayatollah: Iran's military will 'punch' West
  4. EDITORIAL: Free the Baptist 10 in Haiti
  5. Another storm approaches Mid-Atlantic

Most Commented

  1. Palin: President run may be 'right thing'
  2. Obama's bipartisan call hits wall of dissent
  3. Clinton: Islamist terror is No. 1 threat
  4. New federal office for global warming
  5. Rep. Murtha dies at age 77
More Top Stories »
  1. BLANKLEY: Palin delivers sparkle, warmth
  2. Obama to host televised, bipartisan meeting on health care
  3. Prop. 8 trial stirs questions, emotions
  4. Blacks face Senate shutout in 2011
  5. EDITORIAL: Free the Baptist 10 in Haiti

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin

Question of the day

More and more states are legalizing medical marijuana use, and the District of Columbia and New Jersey now seem poised to join that group. How do you feel about the trend?

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    White House communications chief to treat Fox differently than ABC, NBC

  • Belief Blog

    Anglican day of reckoning coming

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    (Almost) All about Apple's iPad

  • Redskins 360

    This is goodbye ... for now

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.